The increasing cost of livestock production has reinforced the need for efficient and reliable animal feeding devices. Specifically, the need is present for a feeding device which delivers feed of varying granular size at desirable rates which requires minimal maintenance, and suffers less down-time.
Feeders of this type utilize means by which the lower opening of a feed storage hopper is raised or lowered so as to vary space between the vessel and a collection pan. To accomplish this, most prior art devices utilize threaded adjustment means (U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,361 to Decker; U.S. Pat. No. 2,933,064 to Geerings). Other systems utilize support posts having a plurality of small holes through which a bolt is inserted, the position of said bolt determining the height of the hopper. (U.S. Pat. No. 2,496,828 to Throckmorton).
In actual use, the aforesaid types of feeders all effectively control feed flow. However, they present the distinct potential for maintenance problems. The adjustment parts of devices with screw adjustment means readily rust together or become jammed when exposed to feed material and/or dust and grime. Likewise, systems with a plurality of small open holes in a support post are susceptible to clogging with excess feed material. In addition, such devices typically divide the pan into individual feed sections with vertical dividers which meet the pan bottom and side.